Overview
- President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will send a formal letter and is arranging a conversation between SICT chief Jesús Esteva and the U.S. Department of Transportation to contest the measures.
- Sheinbaum meets today with cargo operators based at AIFA to gather operational details and identify any issues relevant to the U.S. complaint.
- The U.S. action revokes approvals for 13 Mexican routes, blocks new AIFA–U.S. authorizations, and prohibits cargo on combined passenger flights from the Mexico City airport, with a warning of further steps if no deal is reached.
- Airlines report limited immediate disruption to existing schedules, though Viva Aerobus lost most of the newly planned AIFA routes, Volaris shelved its AICM–Newark launch, and Aeroméxico paused its new San Juan service.
- Recent coverage notes prior Mexican commitments to restore U.S. carriers’ AICM slots and highlights U.S. aviation strain from the federal shutdown, with FAA staffing shortages and Secretary Duffy warning he could close airspace if safety were at risk.